Lebanese antiquities collector Georges Lotfi has an arrest warrant issued by Interpol for June 2023. Lotfi is accused of illegally transporting 24 antique pieces from Syria and Lebanon to the United States, including mosaics attributed to Lebanon. Experts such as archaeologist Christos Tsirogiannis and lecturer Djamila Fellague have stated that some of the mosaics seized are simple forgeries, easily identifiable as such even by non-experts.
These mosaics were due to be returned to Lebanon by the United States, but their authenticity is in doubt as they appear to be copies of famous works, identifiable thanks to photos available online. Djamila Fellague conducted comparative iconographic research and identified originals in Italy, Tunisia, Algeria and Turkey.
The New York district attorney accused Lotfi of illegally transporting these pieces in 1988. However, the American investigators base their case on five main arguments, omitting the evidence provided by the study of the mosaics themselves.
The Guardiane newspaper reported that art experts have validated the authenticity of the pieces, but the Lebanese authorities are waiting to examine them themselves before judging their authenticity. The return of the pieces is under way, and they will be the subject of an in-depth scientific study when they arrive.